ostler



March 8, 1932. E. s. OSTLER RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Filed Jan. 26, 192B 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 8, 1932. E, s, OSTLER L RIBBON FEED MEcHANlsM Filed Jan. 26, 1928 l5 Sheets-She??l 2 Mwah 8, 1932. E. s. OSTLER 1,848,494

RIBBON FEED MEGHANI SM Filed Jan. 26, 1928 3 Sheeis-Sheet 3 /Twe nfor:

Y Patented Mar. 8, 1932 EBD ST AT'ESE PATENT OFFICE ERNEST S. OST-LER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, :ASSILGNQIBGr B-Y4 ASSIGNMENTS, vT0 STROMBERG ELECTRIC' GOMPAANY, ,'ACOR}?0BA'JPION= OE DELAWARE RIBBON .ML'ECHANISM `Application led January 26, 19"2'8.v SeTiaT'No 249g624'.

My invention relates to improvementsin ribbon feed mechanisms for timey stamps andthe like in Which an inked ribbon is caused to travel' across or cooperate with the face of the type or other impression means, the ribbon being arranged to be wound from one spool orreel onto another.

One of the objects of my inventionis-to provide improved means for revers-ing the direction of travel ofthe ribbon* in Which tfhe time of such reversal is controlled by that one of the ribbon rolls which is diminishing in diameter.

A further object of my invention -isvto provide improved means for reversing the direction of the ribbon traveli in which a -multiplying lever is provided whereby relatively slight ribbon travel Will cause a relatively great movement ofthe' ribbon reversing' l mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for driving the ribbon rolls.A

In the drawings in Whichv an lembodiment of my invention is shown,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a` time stamp provided With my improved ribbon feed mechanism, a portion of' the casing being broken away to show the interior const-ruction;

n construction shown therein comprises atime stamp having'a base or platenv 1- and a vmanually operable-oscillatable stamp' head 2 pivotally mounted on the base at 3. Any suitable time controlled type mechanism 'may be used, vthis* not-being shown in detail, as no claims are madeto details-of thetime controlledl type mechanism. rEhe reversibleribbon 'feed mechanismis mounted on the' oscillatablestamp-head 2 and.' comprises a pair Df'ribbon spools et'y andi 5, an actuatingslide memberf 6-V which is operated each time: the stamp-head1 vis manually depressed in the printing* operation, VYandi transmission be* twee-n saidiactuating' member and kthe two ribboni-spools' and 5'. This transmission comprises twotrainsmounted on a rockable frame?, this-frame when inone'extreme positionbringing onelofvsaid trains f intooperativef relation. 4-With :one of the ribbon: spools, and when in lthe other extreme,- position bringfingf the-other train. into: operative relationavitlr the -otherribbonfspo'oL The actuator 6 has a pin and slot connection with the stamp head1 andv has .its uppenfend pivotally connected-with a lever' pivotally securedl-at 9 tothestamp head.. A.. coil tensioni spring 10' is providedv which normally holds-this' actuator in: thelposi'tion shown. in Figsl and' 3. 'Whenf the'. stamp head` is depressed the feet: 11 Iof the actuatorv engages a lug 12onthe platen* 1? and moves the actu'- atorfupwardl y relatively lto :the stamp' head. When! therx stamp-` headfis released andy refturns` tol the` position.v shown'A in "Fig- 1.the cnil spring 102'retunnsfthev actuator' :to the position sl'lownint Fig; 1ZV so that each stamp.u ing movementwof the stamp headcanSes a complete oscillation of' the lever 8i' yThis lever has pivota'lil'y mount'edthereon an actuating Apav'vl 113 which cooperates .with a ratchet Wheel?. 14-mountedl on a shaft .15 ysecuredtethefstainplhead 2 so thateach oscillat-ion-ofy `the lever' causesv .the vratchet AWheel toi bef advanced. A1 springpressed pawl 16 is previ'ded'fte `prevent Aretrograde Ymovement of the? ratchet 'Wheelu rllhe transmission fnom this ratchet Wheel vto the'right handfrihbonspoolgasseen inFigs; l, 2, and 3, comprisesra pinion: 17rotatable with the ratchetwheel 1:4?, afseeon'd: pinion; 18f mesh'- ing with thevfi'rstrpinion and) mounted on therockableframe 7,;a thind'pinion 19 meshing Withfsaid-sec'cnd piniom andalso mounted on Y'this -rockable frame .7c aafounthl pinion 20, mounted on thevr fsinmp.' head; with; respect: lto which the said third pinion is' movable into The transmission from the ratchet Wheel 14 to the left-hand ribbon spool comprises the iirst pinion 17 heretofore `rrefer-'red to, a gear 24 meshing VWith-this irst pinion- 17-and mounted on the rockable frame Z, a pinion 25 with respect to which said gear is movable into and out of engagement, a pinion 26 also mounted on the stamp'head and rotatable With-'the pinion 25, a .'pinion27 mounted on the stamp-head and meshing Withk thepinion 26, anda gear V,2 8 meshing With said pinion 27 androtatable with. the left-hand ribbon spool. It Wiil be seen that Whenthe rotatable frame is inthe position shown kin Figs. 2,.,3, and 5,;tha`t'the gear 24 Will be in 'mesh With ythe pinion; 25 and that stamping movement ofthe stamp head will cause the lefthand ribbonspool to begdriven to Wind up the ribbon thereon andthat When the rockablel frame is in the position shown in Fig-4, the pinion 19 Will ,be in mesh vviththev pinion 2O and that each stamping movement ofthe stamp head Will cause Y'a movementvofthe right-hand ribbon-spool 4 to vvind upV the ribbonthereon. .1@ f. i Y

The ribbon vcontrolled means for' controlling the position ofthe rockable frame (and thus controlling the direction of fthe travel of the ribbon) Will now Vbe described. The rockablel frame 7 is provided with aroek platef29 Withvvhich cooperate a pair'of pivotedribbon controlled dogsy .30 and 31, one of; Which moves said rockable; member-' Zfto onel eXtreme position and holds it there for awtime, and thenreleasesitLand the other of which moves said rockable member to its other eXtreme position and holds it there for a time, and; then releases it, a pair of A.intermediate lost motion rock members32 kand 33 pivotally mounted about the same axes 734 and 35 respectively as the vpivoted dogs, and a pair of levers 36 and'37 fulcrumed about the faxes 34 and 35,V and controlled'by the ribbonl rollsBS' and 39 respectively for actuating the rock members respectively. Itwill be noted that vthese ribbon controlled levers overlap each ,other,` and thatfeach lever controls that dog which is onthe vopposite side ofthe axisv 15 'of' the rockable member from that on which the lever itself is pivoted. This enablesthe arms 40 of the levers which engage the intermediate rock members to be made considerably longer than the arms Whichare controlled by-the rolls of ribbon, so that acomparatively slight change in the diameter #of the vribbon roll Will vgive a considerable degree ofmovement to the -rock members. vv'lhe'shortcarmsI 41 of the levers bear on the shoes 42 and 43 respectively Which engage the ribbon rolls, these shoes extending substantially across the entire face of the ribbon so that the pressure is Widely distributed and not excessive at any point. The engagement between the lever and rock member is effected by means of a laterally extending finger 44 on the lever Which engages a cooperating laterally extending linger 45 on the intermediate rock member. It will also be noted that,'because of the fact that each lever arm 40 engages the rock member Which is on the opposite side of the aXis of the rockable frame 7, the releasing operation v'vhi'ch permits the tilting and reverse ing action of this rockable frameis effected by that one of the rolls on the spoolsy which is diminishing in diameter. The advantage of this is that a relatively small travel ofthe ribbon Willcause a greater change in diameter o f the diminishing roll than ythe same amount of ribbon travel Would cause in thev diameter of thek roll ywhich is increasing in diameter. This makes the point of reversal of the ribbon Vtravel much more definite than in the construction shown. in the Crook patent referred to. in which the reversal is controlled by the ribbon roll which is increasing in diameter.V With the construction of the Crook patent the point of reversal of the ribbon might vary as much as several inches While With my improvedcontrol lthe point ofreversal of the ribbon does not vary more than a fraction of an inch.

The holding operationof eachdog is ef-y fected by the engagement of the arcuate edge 46 of the dog Withlthe edge 4'? 'of the rock plate. The actuating function of the pivoted dog iseffected by the engagement of the point of the dog with the upper surface of the rock plate. Thus in Fig. 4 the right-hand dog 50 is holding the rock plate 29 against the action of the left-hand dog 31 which is tending to tilt the rock plate to the position shown in Fig. 5 because of the action of the coil tension spring 48 which connects the interme diate rock members 82 and 33. 1n 5 the lefthand dog 31 has its arcuate holding edge 46 in engagement With the edge 47 of the rock plate and thus holds Athe rockA plate against itstendency to rock back to the position shown in'Fig. 4 under the action of the point of the right-hand dog which is pressing down on the uppersurface of the rock plate. Y The lost motion connection between each intermediate rock member and its dog is effected by means of a pin 49 mounted on the rock member and operating ina slot 50 in the pivoted dog. The purpose of this lost motion connection is to permit a slight additional rocking movement-of-thedog after it hasy released the rock plate, this additional rocking movement being made Without any corresponding movement of the rock memeber, theonly resistance which is oEered to f at 53, said springs being, connected at their upperends toan eqnalizing lever '5l roelzably mounted on atulerumpinv 55 secured to 'the stamp head 2.

liv-ill now. describe how the partsare shift edl from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 55 which shift would cause a reversal' inthe direction. ot ribbon travel. ln l* the rockable member 7 is lin a positiony which will eausethe ribbon 'to be wound up. on the right-h andV ribbon spool and` iin-woundtrom the left-hand ribbon spool. The right-hand roll 38 is thus increasingr in size and the left-hand roll 39 diminishingin'diamoter; thus the-action or" the ribbon on'tlie rolls will be such as to cause the righty hand lffer arm l0 to'move downwar lly from tho position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in F ig. 5 against the action of the right-hand coil tension spring 52, and suoli ras to permit the left-hand lever arm #l0 to moveV upwardly under tlieaetion of the lett,-

hand eoil tension spring from a position "withv the intermediate' rock member until the dog. is moved up vso tar that its lower point 56 passes the upper surface of the rock plate 29 and thus releases this rock plate so that it canv be roelred by the action of the lower point 56 of the lett hand dog which is pressingy down andthe roel; plate because of the action of the eoil tension spring d8. Meantime, the rightliand lever arm l0 will have been moved downwardly so that its laterally extending linger al will be so tar ydownl that it will be entirely out of theA path of travel of the laterally extending linger l5 on the lett-hand intermediate rock member 33. rlhis left-hand intermediate rock member is therefore free to move from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 5 during which movement it rocks the rook plate 29 from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 5. and furthermore moves to a position in which its arcuate holding edge 46 engages the edge e7 of the rock plate, thus holding the rock plate in the position shown in Fig. 5.

it will be seen that the final releasing movement of the right-hand dog 30 is controlled by the lett-hand ribbon roll 39 which at the moment Vot release is relatively small in diameter so-that a slight ribbon travely would quickly change lthe diameter of vthis relatively small ribbon roll. As previously indicated this control of thetime of reversal by means of the small ribbon roll has a decided advanim tage in that it makes the point of eut-oil less subject to variation than in the type of reverse in whichL the reverse is controlled by the larger-ot the two ribbon rolls..

rllhe movement ot the'partstrom the position shown: in Fig.. 5 back tothat shown in Figtl is substantially a reversal of the movement described above.- In Fig. 5 the parts have been moved to a` position which will eauseithe'ribbon; to be wound up on the lettliand' spool from the' right-hand spool. The lett-hand ribbon roll. 39 is thus increasing in` size andthe right-hand ribbon roll 38 is diminishing in. size. rlllie lett-hand lever arm lO'will therefore be forced downwardly from the position show-n in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. fl against the action of the left-hand coil' tension spring 52 Aand the right-hand lever arm l0 will bev permitted` to be moved upwardly under the action ,of the right-hand coil tension spring 52 from the positionl shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. Ll. rlhus in the upward movement of the right-hand lever arm.. its laterally extendingk linger la will come into engagement with the laterally extending linger ll5 on the intermediate rock member 33, and as soon as thelost motion between this rock member 33 and thopivoted dog 3l has been tal-:en up, the pivoted dog also will be moved upwardly along with the intermediate rock member and will linal-ly bey moved to a position in which its lower point 5G will move past the upper edge of theroelr plate 29 and release this rroelr plate for rocking movement. During this movement the left-hand lever arm will have been moved downwardly against the action of the Coil tension spring 52 until its laterally extending tinger 44 has been moved downwardly so far that it will be Completely out et the path of travel of the laterally entending nger e5 onthe intermediate roel; member 32. Therefore, as soon as the lett-hand rocking dog 3l has released' the roelr plate 29, the right-hand dog` 30 will rock the rock plate from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in F ig'. l and in its movement the lower point 56 kof the actuating dog will lin-ally move the rock plate to a position in which the lower point or the dog can slip past the edge 51.7 et the rock plate and move to the holding position shown in Fig. Ll.

The right-hand lever 3G, intermediate rock member 32, and pivoted dog 8O are all mounted on the same pivot pin 34, and also the lefthand lever 37, intermediate roelr member 33, and dog 3l `are mounted on the san-ie pivot pin 35. The tension ot the coil spring 48 eonneeting the two intermediate members is ample to overcome the resistance of the com- :lim

les

paratively light, closely coupled springs' 51 f which connect the pivoted dogs with the inf 8 which causes va stepped movement of the ratchet wheel 14.l This stepped movementof the ratchet wheel is transmitted to one or the other of thev ribbonl spools (depending on whether the roclr plate 29 is iii-the position shown in Fig. 4f or the position shown in Fig. 5) and this causes the ribbon to be Vgradually wound up on one spool and'unwoiind from the other. At a certain stage in the unwindingoperation one of the ribbon rolls becomes so small that the holding dog is moved to releasingposition whereupon'the rocking plate 29 snaps immediately to itsother eX- treme position, thus shifting the drivey to the other spool. 1 v While I have described but one embodiment of my invention,it is obvious that many modifications therein may occur to those skilled in the art, and I desire, therefore, that my invention be limited only by the scope of' the appended claims and by the prior art.

I claim: f

Y u 1. Thecombination with a pair of ribbon spools and a member rockable back and forth for shifting the drive `forV the spools of a reversible ribbon feed, a gear coaxial with said rockable member and gearingy mounted on said rockable member for'alternatively driving one or the other of said spools, of means for controlling thetime of saidpshift, controlled by that one of the ribbon rolls which is diminishing in diameter.

2, The. combination with a member rockf able back and forth for shifting the drive for the spools of a reversible ribbon feed, of means for controlling the time of said shift, controlled by that one of the ribbon rolls which is diminishingy in diameter, said means comprising a lpair of oscillatable members pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the axes of said rockablei'nember, one of which oscillatable members moves said rockable member to one extreme position and holds it there for a time and thereafter releases it, and the other of which moves saidV rockable member to its other extreme position and holds it there for a ytime and thereafter releases it, and a pair of rock members pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the axis of' said rockable member for moving said oscil latable members respectively from'holding to releasing position, each rocking member being pivoted'on the 'opposite side of the aXis of the rockable member from that on which the oscillatable member which it moves is pivoted. f i

3. The combinationy with a member rock- 'able back and forth for shifting the drive for the spools of a reversible ribbon feed, of kmeans for lcontrolling the time of said shift, controlled by that one of the ribbon rolls which is diminishing in diameter, said means comprising a pair of oscillatable members pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the axes of said rockable member,yone of which oscillatable members :moves said rockable member to one extremeposition and holds it there for a time and thereafter releases it, and the other of which moves said rockable member to its other extremepositionand holds it there for a time and thereafter releases it, and a pair Vof rock members pivotally mounted on opposite sides'of the aXisof said rockable member for moving said oscillatable members respectively from holding to releas` ing positiomeach rocking member being pivoted on the opposite side of the axis of the rockable member from that on which the oscillatable member which it moves is pivoted, each rocking member being a lever of the first on said rockable member, said rockable member when in one extreme position bringing one of said transmissions into operative relation to provide transmission between said driving gear and one of said driven gears, to cause it to drive one of said spools to wind up the ribbon thereon from the other spool and said roc-hablevr member when in the other extreme position, bringing the other of said transmissions into operative relation to provide transmission between said driving gear and the other of said driven gears toy cause it to drive the other of said spools to wind up the ribbon thereon, a pair of members, one of which movesV said roclrable member to one eXtreme position and holds it there for a time, and the other of which moves saidA rockable member to its other extreme position andholds it there for a time, a pair of actuating members for said holding members respectively, having a lost motion connection therewith, said actuating members being spring-pressed in one direction, each actuating member serving to move its corresponding holding member, from a position in which `it holds said rockable member against rocking movement to a position in which it releases said rockable member to permit the other spring-pressed holding member to rock the rockable member; after this rocking movement the holding member which has just released the rockable member being in a position tendinO to rock the rockable member, the other holding member after having rocked the rookable member being in a position to hold the roekable member in the position to which it has been moved, and means whereby that one of the holding members which is holding the rock* able member is moved to rel-easing position, controlled by that one of the rolls on the spools which is diminishing in diameter, said means |comprising two releasing members, one for each actuating member, the position of which releasing members is controlled by the rolls of ribbon on the spools.

5. The combination with a member rockl able back and forth for shifting thedrive for the spools of a reversible ribbon feed, of means for controlling the time of said shift, controlled by that one oi the ribbon rolls which is diminishing in diameter, said means comprising a pair of control members mov able back and forth and mounted on opposite sides of the axis or' said rockable member, one of which control members moves said roekable` member to one eXtreme position and holds it there for a time and thereafter releases it, and the other of which moves said rockable member to its other eXtreme position and holds it there for a time and thereafter releases it, and a pair of rock members pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the axis of said rockable member for moving said control members respectively from holding to releasing position, eaoh rook member being pivoted on the opposite side of the axis of the rockable member from that on which the control member which it moves is mounted.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ERNEST S. OSTLER. 

